


A Detective's Memoir

by AbstractAurora



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Food, Memories, Post-Despair, Pseudo Character Study
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 22:37:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3335348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbstractAurora/pseuds/AbstractAurora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto Naegi has gotten word that he will become the protagonist of a children's book series. After telling Kyouko Kirigiri about the plots he will be involved in, she offers a narrative of her own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Detective's Memoir

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to Naegiri Week (in particular the "Memories" prompt).

The cafeteria in the Future Foundation's 14th Division headquarters was calm, almost pleasant compared to the rest of the building. There were no stressed businesspeople hurrying from office to office, no secretaries with reports in their arms rushing through the maze-like halls, no bosses on their cell phones arguing with their employees. Lunchtime in this cafeteria was a respite from the trials and tribulations of working at the Future Foundation.

Lunchtime, for Kyouko Kirigiri, was a much-needed breath of fresh air.

All to herself in an isolated corner of the cafeteria, Kyouko began to dig into a bowl of rice and fish, accompanied with a steaming cup of coffee. Her employment at the Future Foundation demanded plenty of her time and attention. When she first started working there, her desire to perform exceptionally well at her job nearly cost her the friendships she held dear to her heart. Since she did not want to sacrifice her social life or her job, compromises had to be made.

When she spotted Makoto Naegi entering the cafeteria, her heart soared. Just because she had a busy career didn't mean she couldn't make the time to settle down and eat meals with her beloved.

"There you are," Makoto said, his eyes lighting up. "I have some exciting news to share with you!"

He took a seat across from her, filled with more energy than she had ever seen him at work. Even if he had not said so just now, Kyouko knew he had been hiding something from her for awhile.

"Hmmm...I was wondering why you have been so excited lately," she said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you," Makoto said sheepishly. "I couldn't tell anyone until now!"

He began to unpack the lunch in his brown paper bag.

"Anyway," he said, "I'm being turned into the star of a children's book series!"

It took a few seconds for shock to register in Kyouko's eyes.

"It's crazy, isn't it?" Makoto said, laughing. "Basically there will be stories about me doing the right thing, helping other people...being an overall good person. The Future Foundation said I would be perfect for the job."

Another small smile took to Kyouko's face.

"And...if they think I'm the perfect person to guide future generations, I guess I'll be happy to help them out."

 _I suppose it really isn't a surprise, is it?_ Kyouko thought. Even when she first met him, he had been exceptionally talented at inspiring people. From that perspective, becoming the protagonist of a children's book series was rather fitting.

"Well, I'm happy for you," Kyouko said. "It just goes to show that your actions have been an inspiration to the world."

Makoto blushed lightly. "A lot of people do call me the Ultimate Hope..."

"There's a reason for that."

"Because of what happened at Hope's Peak Academy?" he said, chuckling nervously. "Because...it's not like I'm a god. I...was just doing what I felt was right."

It was not just the words spoken which pleased her the most. It was the sincerity behind them that warmed her heart. It was a sincerity that had always been with him the moment she first heard him speak. Some would call it being foolishly open...and perhaps he was. But Kyouko wouldn't have wanted him any other way.

_You are such a good person..._

"So I've been talking to publishers all morning," Makoto said. "What about you?"

In great detail Kyouko filled Makoto in on her morning. It was no more interesting than it had been yesterday or the day before. And yet he hung onto her every word like the ins and outs of her workday were actually worth listening to.

_Do you realize how much of a good person you are?_

"Sounds like things are the same as usual," Makoto said. "I could only imagine how you would react if someone told you they were going to make you the star of a children's book series."

"What...do you mean by that?" Kyouko asked, amused.

"I just thought it would be interesting," he said with a shrug. "What if there was a book series for kids like...'Kyouko Kirigiri's Detective Stories'?"

The laugh that followed was light and airy. Makoto watched her, a little surprised and slightly pleased with himself at once.

It was not just the mental image that caused Kyouko to laugh. When she was young, she attempted many times to read mystery books aimed at children...key word being _attempted_. The kid protagonists' common disregard for logic put her off from those kind of books. Perhaps it _would_ be a good idea for someone to write a logically-sound detective series for younger audiences, regardless of whether she would be the star or not.

Kyouko and Makoto continued their lunches in silence. The silence, however, was anything but uncomfortable; it was the kind of silence which existed between two people who knew each other well.

In fact, Kyouko realized, much of their time together was spent without saying a word to each other. Back in Hope's Peak Academy, they explored the buildings and worked on their homework silently. It was unfortunate that right before Monokuma entrapped them in the school, all of her memories from the moment she entered the academy were wiped. Although some of her memories had since been recovered, most of them were covered in a black haze.

Still, she could recall more memories of her spending time with Makoto without speaking much. During the School Life of Mutual Killing, they spent some of their free time silently. When they did talk to each other, one of them often ended up teasing the other. And when they began dating...their time together was more or less the same.

Kyouko's cheeks warmed. She wished she could tell Makoto exactly how much he meant to her. But sharing her emotions openly was a task she found difficult. Although she had made great progress with opening up to him, she knew she could be better at sharing her feelings. Plus, it was hard to find the time to express her gratitude towards having him in her life - they were busy people, after all.

"So we're still on for dinner tonight, right?" Makoto eventually asked, breaking the silence.

Kyouko nodded. A new sushi restaurant had opened up downtown, and it had gotten raving reviews from almost half of the Future Foundation. Earlier in the week they had made plans to eat there.

"Okay," he said, smiling. "Whoever gets there first reserves the table."

Kyouko smiled back, gratitude filling her heart. She then resolved to find a way to tell Makoto exactly how she felt. He needed to know just how important he was to not just the entire world, but to Kyouko herself.

* * *

 

Makoto prodded at a sushi roll with a chopstick, awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend. In front of him, plates of sushi and other food traveled past him on a conveyor belt. Despite the busy state of the restaurant he was in, he was calm. It was a warm Friday night - he was ready to push his work aside and enjoy a simple meal with the woman he loved most.

A few minutes later, he spotted Kyouko exiting a city bus outside. Even when surrounded by hundreds of people, she was calm and collected. As she made her way to the restaurant's entrance, her eyes were observant and her poise was perfect. Makoto watched her weave through passersby in awe. How did she manage to stay so graceful all the time? When he entered the restaurant five minutes ago, he had nearly tripped over his own feet.

Once in the restaurant proper, Kyouko came strolling towards him gracefully. After exhaling, she said, "Sorry. Traffic is heavy tonight."

"Even more than usual, huh?" Makoto asked her knowingly.

Kyouko sighed as she sat down next to him. "I heard there's a concert in Sakura Square tonight. Every time there's a major event in this city, all the roads become clogged. I'm surprised anyone can get anywhere."

"Well, at least you're here now," he said cheerfully.

After Kyouko chose a plate of sushi from the conveyor belt, they finally began to eat. A familiar comfortable silence fell on them as they savored the taste of sushi.

"By the way," Makoto said in between bites, "I found out what those picture books will be about."

"Hm?" Kyouko said. "You mean the ones you're starring in?"

"Right. Listen to this...in one story, there's this girl who keeps failing her tests in school. She meets me when she runs away from school one day. And I...think I tell her that she is not worth her test grades. It went something like that."

"That sounds...interesting."

Makoto grinned. "Were you expecting something more profound?"

"I wasn't quite sure what to expect," Kyouko said calmly.

"Well, I found out about another plot," he added. "Maybe you'll like it better."

She made a motion with her gloved hands for him to continue.

"There's another story where this boy hurts his best friend's feelings," Makoto said. "So he comes to me for help. I teach him how to say sorry to his friend. Pretty much every plot I heard was something along those lines."

Though Kyouko didn't react strongly, Makoto could tell she was both disappointed and yet unsurprised.

"Sorry," he said apologetically. "They aren't really stories you and I would read at our age."

"You said this book series will be aimed at children," Kyouko said. "It makes sense to have stories that will cater to that particular demographic."

"I guess so."

They continued to eat their sushi. A minute later, Makoto noticed that Kyouko had become thoughtful. He figured that she was still hung up on the plots of his upcoming children's book series.

"What is it, Kyouko?" he asked her.

"I was just thinking," she said. "I'm imagining how I would write a story about you."

"Oh, that sounds neat," Makoto said, intrigued. "How would that go?"

"Well..."

Kyouko broke off, gathering her thoughts. Makoto watched her patiently.

"I imagine I would write something like this..."

She paused again. When she spoke once more, she said:

"Once upon a time, there was a girl born to a family of detectives. From the moment she was born, she was taught to think and act like a detective."

Makoto's smile vanished from his face once he felt the weight behind her words. To him, it was like the restaurant around him did not even exist; only Kyouko Kirigiri and her story remained.

"She was taught to examine her world critically," Kyouko told him. "Not just watch it, but study it carefully. In every detail there was a devil. As her family was eager to tell her, she was a detective first and foremost."

Makoto's eyes widened. Although she was more open with him than with any other person in her life, it was rare for her to unload her personal thoughts like this all at once.

"She was a prodigy in her line of work," she added, "becoming a full-fledged detective before entering high school. Like many students with a talent of her caliber, she was revered. Despite her fearless reputation, though, she had her own reasons to fear. She had her own ghosts haunting her."

Kyouko glanced down at her gloved hands for a second, then looked back into Makoto's concerned eyes.

"When she was young and naïve, she made a terrible mistake. The gloves she wears on her hands...serves to hide the scars that changed her forever. It enforced the ideal her family imparted her with: Let no emotion shine though. There was nothing to be gained by letting emotion show...and everything to lose."

Makoto almost spoke, but he caught himself in time. Kyouko inhaled and exhaled before continuing on.

"It was easy for her to pretend that shutting down all her emotions would give her strength," she said. "Still, fear ran through her blood. She had the strangest feeling that by hiding her emotions, she would ultimately lose what mattered the most. And that kind of fear was worse than any burns her hands had suffered through."

Finally, Kyouko managed a weak smile.

"It was when she met a kind-hearted young man," she said softly, "that she began to reconsider her methods of protecting herself. Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student and eventual Ultimate Hope, was rather different from her. He expressed his emotions openly...perhaps foolishly so. But he became an inspiration to his friends, and then the world altogether. Even when he had every reason to give up hope...he never did. He was a light in a cold, ever-consuming darkness."

After she said this, Makoto's eyes began to water.

"From the moment she first met Makoto, she learned a lot about herself. Most importantly, she began to learn what it meant to share her emotions. He put his trust into her when she needed it the most...and with his light to guide her, she began to trust him as well. And from that trust..."

She broke off, as if she were afraid to finish her train of thought.

"Kyouko..." Makoto whispered.

A loud sigh followed. He suddenly wondered if she regretted telling him her story.

"Really," he told her gently, lightly touching her arm, "I'm flattered that I mean so much to you."

Kyouko sighed again. "Speaking so openly in a public place..."

"Don't worry about it! No one else was listening in."

Makoto gestured around the restaurant to prove his point. Indeed, everyone else occupying the restaurant were lost to their own conversations and food.

"I guess I have much to learn about openly expressing my emotions," Kyouko said, her voice returning to its usual calm state.

"You've made plenty of progress!" Makoto insisted. "I think your story was worthy of its own picture book."

Kyouko seemed unconvinced, but nonetheless she smiled. "Thank you, Makoto."

"Let me put it this way," he added. "I'm going to be inspiring future generations through these books, right? But who do you think will inspire me when I need it the most?"

"Well, when you put it that way...it makes sense. You can't be expected to support yourself all the time."

"Which is why I'm especially glad you opened up to me like this," Makoto said with a smile.

In that smile Kyouko recalled the time they spent together back in Hope's Peak Academy. Once upon a time, she found his openness foolish...but right now, she treasured it as a quality that made Makoto Naegi the good person he was.

Offering another smile of her own, Kyouko said, "I'm glad I opened up, too."

A comfortable silence fell on them as they finished their meals.


End file.
